Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-15


iule may be dismissed; and ne Will
ever pray, DC. JAMES y. oNilh'
BEFORE COURT.
Yesterday was the day set by Judge
Atkins for the hearing of the case, and
Mr.. J. Aston Cabell appeared for the
respondent.
The following witnesses were exam
ined: Rev. DR.. William T.. Hatcher,
Deputy-Sergeant Macon, Deputy-Ser-
geant Allen, Policeman Foster, and
II. L. Ezekiel.
The proof was absolute that there
were two hundred persons or more
present
DIR. HATCHER's TESTIMONY.
DR.. Hatcher took the witness-stand,
and Judge Atkins asked him to give an
account of the crowd which attended
the execution OF Cluverius. In reply
the Doctor said that he could not un-
dertake TO estimate the number OF per
sons either on the outside or the inside
Of the jail-yard at the time of the exc
cution. He said that he hardly thought
it would be an exaggeratian TO say that
there were 5000 persons around the
Jail on the outside. Jail alley seemed
to be packed to its utmost capacity,
and tie people were almost as thick as
they eanld s,ant 4 the street in front
Of the jail, and, besides, the hillside
and houses and trees seemed to be full
of them.
As for those on the inside he could
not say how many there We're, but he
felt surprised that the number was so
large when he remembered that the
law reanired that the execution should
be private. He said that he noticed
the inside crowd more particularly be-
cause Cluverius indicated the decided
wish that there should be as few per-
sons present as possible. He spoke OF
it with such evident pain when it was
told him that there seemed to be n good
many persons within the jail en-
closure that the Doctor said that
he naturally looked at the crowd
when he came out of the cell,
on his way to the scaflold The Judge
asked DR.. Hatcher as to the behavior
of the people on the occasion, and also
whether there was not difficulty in
making a way through the crowd on
the way to the gallows. The Doctor
replied that he was not at the head OF
the procession, and that while the jail
yard seemed TO be quite full the way
was readily opened, ms far as he could
see. for the officers and the prisoner to
pass. He testified that as far as he
| knew there was no noise or disorder on
the inside of the Jail. He then explain
ed how, in leaving the cell in the upper
part of the jail, the prisoner came in
sight of many persons on the outside,
and that at the sight of him the people
became boisterous and disorderly. be
said that the yell which went up from
many on the outside was horrible in
deed. and seemed to consider it as in a
high degree scandalous and unbe-
coming.
The Judge then asked him if he did
not have to ask for an escort to enable
him to get through the crowd on the in
side of the Jail. DR.. Hatcher ssid that
he was anxious to leave the premises
before the execution, and requested
Sergeant Smith to arrange for him to do
so. As soon as his duty was performed
on the gallows Mr.. Smith put him under
charge of an officer, who conducted him
to the outer gate. He said that he had
no difficulty in making his way through
the crowd in the jail-yard.
Mr. Cabellasked DIR. Hatcher whether
Mr.. Bev. Crump made any complaint
as to the crowd on the inside of the
Jail.
The Doctor said, in reply, "None
that / know Of" The Doctor then
said that he, of course, was at the Jail,
not to study the legal aspects of the
execution, but for quite a different pur-
pose, and therefore he had to give his
impressions rs to the crowd with the
disadvantage of having had his mind at
the time very much occupied with other
things. He said that as Cluverius ex-
pressed his painful concern about the
crowd i'll the jail-yard in the presence
Of Mr.. Bev. Crump, he would be glad
to have Mr.. Crump present to confirm
his recollections Of what he did say.
At this point the Doctor was told that
he might stand aside, and he imme-
diately left the courtroom.
FORGED TICRETs-THE RESCUE, &C.
Deputy-Sergeant Macon said there
were about two hundred persons there;
that there were over two dozen police
men, six doctors, and he could not tell
how many lawyers, because he had
something else lthe hanging of Cluve-
rius) to engage his attention. Deputy
Sergeant Macon also said there were
several policemen present in citizens
dress.
Deputy-Sergeant Allen testified that
there were a great many " raised
tickets" that looked as if the figure
one had been scratched out and three
and four, and as many as fire, inserted.
Judge Atkins Gnterrupting): Before
the execution?
Witness: Yes, sir, before.
Judge Atkins: Why didn't they
guard against that?
The witness, replying, said: " | can
not say. 1t had been intimated that an
attempt would be made to rescue the
prisoner, SO Mr.. Smith had "a number OF
muskets brought up there meaning
up in the Jail.
| The Court asked Mr.. Allen ii
the threatened attempt to rescue the
prisoner was not to take place the night
before the execution.
81 do not know. Mr.. Smith said II
was best to have q guard.
Policeman w. L. Foster, who, Will
Sergeant Matthews, took in the tickets
at the Jail-alley door, testified thai
there were probably as many as 200 ol
$50 tickets received by them. Some
twenty or twenty-five policemen, who
went in in the line of business, were
not required to have tickets. 1t wa
true that some of the tickets called fol
the admission OF more than one person
but in each such case they consulted
Sergeant Smith or some OF his deputies
before admitting the parties.
According to the law as popularl.
understood only the Sergeants neces
sary assistants, jury Of twelve wit
nesses. the minister of the Gospel, &c.
| l. ol.,.tta1